Italeri 1/48 H-21C Flying Banana Gunship Model Kit

The Piasecki/Vertol H-21C "Flying Banana" earned its nickname from the distinctive curved fuselage designed to prevent overlapping tandem rotors. Originally a transport and arctic rescue helicopter, the H-21C was pressed into service as America's first armed helicopter in Vietnam, fitted with improvised machine gun mounts and rocket pods in the early 1960s before purpose-built gunships arrived. This 1/48 Italeri kit captures the unique tandem-rotor silhouette with gunship armament and early Vietnam-era US Army markings.